Games

When it comes to interactive story-driven games Life is Strange is among the best installments in last decade or so. The game has a rather simple gameplay which isn’t as important as story and that is where the game did best.

All fans were overjoyed when they heard that two new installments based on this episodic game will be released. Those two games are the Life is Strange 2 (sequel) and the Life is Strange: Before the Storm (prequel). This article will focus on the prequel and we will discuss the direction in which this game went.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm episode one

Before the Storm is an episodic game, just like the original. This game won’t have supernatural elements as it happens before the story of Life is Strange. This is a story about teenagers and troubles they experience through the most volatile part of the life. The star of Life is Strange (Max) won’t be in the spotlight in this prequel. Instead of her, you will get to control Chloe, who is her best friend.

This is a story about teen girls and their struggles, and therefore some might find this game boring. The protagonist is a 16-years old girl that deals with struggles many of us faced during that age. It’s a story full of angst, and thus many will find it unbearable. Future episodes will probably expand the story from chapter one and probably add new elements to the story.

Story of the Before the Storm

The story (that we can conclude from the first episode) of the Before the Storm is set once again in Arcadia Bay where Chloe is not satisfied with her uneventful life. She doesn’t care about the school, smokes pot and is a punk. This is reflected in the conversation choices you get. Every time you are given an opportunity to answer you will get a list of dialogue options including a soft response and a harsh one. It can be said that no choice in a conversation is sweet which corresponds with Chloe’s nature. The latest addition to the discussion is the Backtalk that allows Chloe to unleash a torrent of put downs and insults. There is a time limit for backtalk, and it’s up to you to ensure that everything is said in that time frame.

So, if you want a teen-based game where you will have to lead a character and try to break in the adults-only punk show and steal a memento as well as work out a way to pay off the weed dealer then Life is Strange: Before the Storm is a game for you. If not then you should wait for later episodes and then decide whether this game is worth picking or not.

The original Yakuza was a PlayStation 2 game that was interesting at the time it came out. The game, especially some of its elements didn’t age well, and right now it’s almost impossible to play it without numerous complaints. Whether the remake can make this game interesting once again is a subject of this review.

Yakuza Kiwami addressed many shortcomings of the original game, but the rework did some damage as it caused some inconsistencies that the fans of the original game might not be able to overlook. Those that didn’t play the original game won’t have these issues, and they will be able to enjoy the game without the need to compare it to the original.

Yakuza Kiwami – The game that reflects the change

This is one of those game remakes that take the path of modernization in its effort to appeal to young gamers. The protagonist isn’t a naïve man anymore; he is a hardened individual that understands how the life works (prison taught him many things). Pre-prison gameplay will give you a taste of Kiryu ( the protagonist) at his full power just like the games from the previous era. But the prison takes its toll, and once he gets out of the jail, Kiryu is at square one, and you will have to reacquire all those abilities once again.

The game introduces many modern mechanics including singing in the karaoke and using the cellphone. Some find this interesting, while others hate it. But Yakuza franchise was always focused on fighting and Kiwami isn’t different.

You will have access to four different fighting styles that are out there for grabs. You will have to gather experience and invest it in skill trees to unlock moves that will turn a bunch of moves into something that resembles a useful fighting technique. Ability (skill) trees are a new addition to the game as the developer decided to forgo the outdated system from the original game.

Yakuza Kiwami – A game that will be worth its price

This game is worth its price, and you should go for it if you like fighting games that have something more to it. This game humanizes its characters and makes them more relatable than other games from the genre. You will feel sad if something goes wrong with the main char and you will also feel pride when you pull something extraordinary. A game that can make you connect with the character and the story is always worth picking, and Yakuza Kiwami is a game like that.

Stellaris is one of those games that will take you by surprise. It is a 4X space strategy game that allows the player to create their race and conquer the galaxy. The original game was huge and quite complex. The number of races you could choose as a template for your unique race was significant, and the number of modifiers exceeded every other 4X space game.

The complex nature of this product, especially race creation part, rendered it unlikable by casual strategy players. Only those that are willing to invest dozens upon dozens of hours into a space strategy will find this game attractive.

Synthetic Dawn is an expansion of this game that introduces robotic races that you can use to conquer the galaxy, either by force, diplomacy or several other means.

Machine supremacy in the Stellaris

The original Stellaris (Utopia version) had an option where you could transfer minds of your people in machines and turn your race into a mix of machines and humans. The new expansion (whose release date is still unknown) will introduce four new robotic races which you will be able to use in Stellaris. It also introduces Ancient Caretakers, which is a new Fallen Empire whose goal is still unknown.

Machine races are different, and they all have their means of expansion and the way to deal with the biological population. For example, you have Rogue Servitors that force conquered population to subdue to the “Mandatory Pampering” law. In this case, the population is given everything it needs. The machines rule and population has to obey the law or die to fight against the rulers.

Assimilators are a Borg-like (Star Trek) race of machines and cyborgs that assimilates all pops they conquer. Exterminators are the representation of the Skynet in Stellaris, and their only goal is to exterminate all organic life (or use it as their batteries). The most organic friendly machine empire is the Ethos. They will either purge organic pops or expel them from their empire. This diversity means that repetitiveness isn’t present and you will be able to invest hundreds of hours in Stellaris without it becoming boring.

The response to Telltale and their story driven games are mixed. Some games they released were successful, while other received negative reviews. The most successful franchise Telltale worked with is the Batman, and they created an excellent game that was episodic, just like the majority of the games this company released.

The latest game from this studio is the Batman: The Enemy Within and it is the continuation of the franchise. This game is also episodic, and the first episode is already out, and we are here to take a look at it.

Batman: The Enemy Within – Worth your money or not?

If you are a fan of the Telltale and their way of telling a story, and their first Batman game, then you should buy this game. If you aren’t fan of point-and-click gameplay, then you probably didn’t like previous Telltale games, and you won’t like this one.

Now, The Enemy Within is advertised as the second season of Telltale’s Batman and thus it continues where the first one left. But this isn’t the same game as the first one, and there have been some significant changes you might be interested in.

First of all the old mechanics went through a change and instead of fight sequences that are planned, you will have choices. Those options will allow you to choose what to use at a given moment in a battle. You will have to press buttons at right moments to successfully defeat enemies with choices you make.

It’s sad to say that detective work, which is a large part of the Telltale’s Batman, is oversimplified. Even riddles that a new enemy (Riddler) places before you are straightforward and non-enjoyable.

The main strength of this game is the story and the relationship between Batman and other characters. If you are a fan of that, then you won’t waste money on this game.

All fans of the X Com franchise will be happy to know that the latest addition to the X Com 2 is an expansion that will change the game at its core. This franchise came a long way from the first X Com and its excellent expansion. How much did it change and what is all this War of the Chosen about will be listed here in this short but insightful review of the game.

War of the Chosen – Expansion that changes everything

X Com 2 is a sequel to highly successful X Com Enemy Unknown (and its expansion Enemy Within) where you took control of an organization that fought against an alien invasion and human collaborators. X Com 2 happens twenty years after the first game, and in this game, you are fighting a guerilla war against the aliens who conquered the world. The sequel takes a lot of mechanics found in the original game and updates them while adding new mechanics like stealth and hacking.

War of the Chosen is the expansion to the X Com 2 that adds new mechanics, new factions and much more. The expansion affects the overall story of the game, but it doesn’t change it completely. It adds three named enemies along with three rebel faction with whom you can work to fight against those enemies. It also adds a new type of warfare in the form of guerilla (covert) actions you can take to either gather resources or to counter enemy moves.

Chosen versus rebel factions

Chosen are the greatest addition to the X Com 2, and they introduce new mechanics against which you will have to fight. You will have to face three Chosen that are out there to kill you. They will appear in random missions and try to kill and abduct your soldiers and extract knowledge out of them. You will have to either run away or kill them in those missions. Killing them will only give you a couple of missions of peace after which they will return even stronger.

You won’t have to fight the Chosen alone. Three rebel factions will join you, and each one of them is specialized in taking down one of the Chosen. This also introduces three new classes, Reapers – who are stealthy snipers, Skirmishers – close combat specialists and Templars – the masters of psi power. These factions will help you if you help them. Join them in guerilla missions, and they will become closer to you. They will provide you with soldiers that will improve your chances to complete missions without causalities and to defeat the Chosen and their masters.

If you love this franchise, then we recommend this expansion as it adds dozens of hours of gameplay to the X Com 2.

The latest big game that shook the world of gaming is the PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, or better known as PUBG. This is a game based on a mod of another game where people battle it out on a map that shrinks over the time. The goal is to be the last man standing.

Now, as everyone knows, this game is based on a Battle Royale mod, and as a game, it doesn’t have the versatility of previous games that used this type of mod. But, unlike those other games, PUBG hit the jackpot and succeeded in a world where only triple-A titles succeed.

The secret behind the success of the PUBG

So, everyone wonders why PUBG succeeded where other failed. People are also surprised because PUBG outlived all predictions people had. Many believed that the success of this game would be short lived and that it would die out after several months. The fact that around half a million of players play this game at almost every point during the day is proof that the game overcame its expectations.

If we are to talk about the secret behind the success of the game, then we have to mention essential elements of the PUBG and those include a shrinking map, limited resources, and an impressive gunplay. All of these elements were present in other iterations of this game mode, and still, they failed to reach a broad audience. Those three things aren’t primary reason for the success of the PUBG, but they play a large part in it. The things that made PUBG successful are the speed of the play and the fit and finish of the game.

A game that transcended its ancestors

All previous iterations of the Battle Royale mode had large maps, and the gameplay was slow. PUBG changed that with the introduction of a smaller map. The availability of the vehicles makes it easy to traverse the map in a matter of several minutes. The gunplay is also fast, and you can die without even knowing from which direction you were killed.

Fit and finish of the game is also a reason this game attracted millions of players. The game has bugs, but everything that is important is done perfectly. The layout of the map forgoes reality to create areas that are fun to explore and fight other players. The guns are also enjoyable to use, and every weapon has its pros and cons, and it’s unique. All of these things make PUBG a game that has a bright future in the world of eSports.

On the 28th of March 2007 the Third Tiberium War was unleashed upon us. This legendary franchise was being brought back from the wilderness by the EALA team, and it was bringing something with it….’The Visitors’

On the 20th April 2006 EA officially announced Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, at the time a ‘working title’ and a title that would go on to, and still does cause much debate among C&C fans. Many people suggested a change in the name, Tiberian Twilight and Tiberian Dusk were both mooted by the fans, but the team led by Mike Verdu has stuck to their guns with the title Tiberium Wars.

The community and its involvement in the game

However the community has shaped the development of this game. We must credit jshu0107 for setting up cncvision as a site which, thanks to the regular polls and ‘Ideas’ threads both there, and on the official C&C3 forums have been acknowledged by the EA Community Representatives, Predator and Apoc as being read by the development team. Some successes jshu and the community as a whole are issues ranging from major; Blue Tiberium, to the smaller; roofs for the GDI Buggy.

The effects of community on the C&C

While many people have lambasted EA for their handling of the C&C franchise it is important to note that they have involved the community and kept us appraised of the development progress. With features such as the Newsletter, Developer Blogs, Podcasts and work from Predator and Apoc on the C&C3 forums and ‘away from home’ on sites such as gamereplays.org. Oh, and of course perhaps most significantly the Community Summit held before Christmas. This was where key figures from many major Command and Conquer fan sites were invited to the EALA studios to play the game and hold discussions with the Dev. Team…and they also had a great laugh while they were at it.

Tiberium Wars, origin and changes

Tiberium Wars is based on EA’s SAGE game engine used in C&C: Generals and the Lord of the Rings series. It has been heavily updated and modified since we first saw it back in the day. From videos we have seen, explosions, gunfire and many other aspects were shaped up very well. Despite some early clipping issues and worries on the Juggernaut’s firing stance with the latest batch of videos the game came to a very solid state engine wise.

Faction you can play in this game

Onto the factions, we have three of them. The Global Defense Initiative, The Brotherhood of Nod and a mysterious alien faction referred to as ‘The Visitors’ by Kane and ‘The Invaders’ by GDI forces. The campaign is multi-dimensional. You start as GDI, and then take to the battle as Nod. You will end with the Alien forces. To intersperse the missions the classic FMV’s are returning as does Joe Kucan in reprising his role as Kane. Many other Hollywood stars will appear such as Billy Dee Williams and Michael Ironside. There are due to be 30+ missions, a key feature will be that choices made in the campaign will have an effect later in the story. You have been warned!

Where Tiberium Wars exceeded its predecessors

The gameplay has also gone under the scalpel so to speak. Those that followed the development of the game could see some changes in the way GDI and The Brotherhood play (no more GDI Mechs). In general only the Juggernaut remains and Nod have a new top-level unit, The Avatar.

Despite some subtle changes the GDI remained focused on using pure power to dominate the battlefield; The Predator light tank is used for speed, while the Mammoth tank implemented a split-tread system that can roll in behind to pulverize the enemy.

Nod remains the faster paced side to play; Flame Tanks although having undergone a massive face lift, again deal admirably with infantry. The Avatar Mech can be seen as one of the harder units to play, but in no way less powerful – having the ability to rip pieces of other units off to use itself –and this changes the dynamic of many battles. The Aliens use a totally different style; they have a basic unit which can swarm, and a Tri-pod unit that can fire on multiple targets at once. The Alien units are comparatively weak against infantry but strong against vehicle units.

Changes to the interface

The interface was changed at this point as well – whilst still remaining in its core a C&C interface; a new innovative side bar was introduced. Rather than taking up a whole block as in previous games, this is an adaptable menu system allowing for the classic build from the sidebar that many fans love. However, units such as the Crane and Mini-MCV have been introduced to cater for fans of more modern RTS game mechanics.

Multiplayer – The lifeline of every strategy

The multiplayer aspect of the game was the main focus of the game for many people. As ever with the development of this game the development team have been aware of this fact and have put a lot of time and effort into making sure the multiplayer aspect of the game were up to scratch. They spent the last few weeks of development time to ensure the balance of the game was as fine-tuned as possible. As with the single player game you were able to play as the GDI, The Brotherhood and the Scrin. Multiplayer had an eight player battle system with the in-built Clan Support 1v1 and 2v2 Clan battles were available.

Command and Conquer 3 was released on the Xbox360, a big step for the franchise moving into the Next Gen console world at that time. It maintained the same features as the PC version.

C&C – Supremacy on the PC

Even though C&C expanded on consoles, it still stayed mainly a PC game. The availability of mods and support modders provide made it possible for this franchise to re3ap profit from games that are over ten years old. This can’t be said for the majority of triple-A titles that had multi-million budgets.

Many excellent games from the past had all it takes to become classics, and they ended up on the verge of not becoming one because one element that was bad. In many cases, it was the music. Games that had complex and innovative gameplay didn’t have good music because it wasn’t as important as other aspects of the game. But those games had one thing, and that is a dedicated modding community and mod-friendly games.

Now, here is an excerpt of the blog that gathered Tiberian Dawn modders that addressed some of the shortcomings of this classic. Read through and see how people in the past affected the games they loved.

Excerpt from the Tiberian Dawn blog No.9

That’s right folks, the latest TD blog is up, and the content is rather good. Everything from Chinooks to insane Belgians is there to be seen! While we’ve gotten used to the TD team’s fantastic models and concept artwork, this week we have a special treat – Music!

Now we move on to the audio portion of this blog. Already even just a week on board the team and NeptuneUK has been hard at work getting those tracks out – he has been busting his chops to produce what are some utterly spiffing pieces of music. I think, and music is a very subjective thing, they have much of the same spirit as the Frank K tracks in the games. They aren’t bland, you don’t just think it’s a cheap rip-off when you hear these, there’s talent behind them, and that makes them sound fresh.

Fresh is what we’re aiming for, new experiences and all that.

So let’s start off here, first, off we have Attrition – a very C&C1 inspired track and while not my favorite of the bunch, it is something I’d like to listen to while pounding down some GDI.

Back in the day, it was always a pleasure to see your favorite game enter a top list. PC Gamer UK was, and still is one of the most prominent sites whose lists reflect the opinion of a majority of players. In the past PC Gamer, UK was one of a few relevant gaming sites whose opinion moved the masses. In the modern times, we have hundreds of sites that try to become relevant, and many of them fail. It’s safe to say that PC Gamer is still one of the most prominent gaming sites that brings us news about games and creates lists of favorite games both from the present and the past.

The PC Gamer issue that acknowledged the brilliance of C&C franchise

The 2007 issue of PC Gamer UK was the ever-famous Top 100 Issue. For the PCGUK mag, the Top 100 list is composed of the writers 100 most loved games. And all of us were pleased to inform everyone that two Command and Conquer games have made it into the list.

Command and Conquer: Red Alert 2 was at the Number 60

Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars at Number 58

It was always good to see C&C getting in on the PCGUK list, just a shame they weren’t at higher positions.

How C&C franchise fares in 2017

Some of the C&C games are over twenty years old, and it’s interesting to see how they fare after all that time. Many games become irrelevant after a year or two (modern games) or in some cases after four or five years (older games). C&C franchise contains games that are always relevant, no matter how much time passes. Proof that backs up this statement is the latest top 100 PC games that PC Gamer posted. At that list, you will find C&C: Red Alert 2 at a 42rd place which is an excellent thing for a game that is seventeen years old.

Many other C&C games survived until modern times due to impressive multiplayer and modding community that is always working on something new.

Tiberian Dawn was a highly successful game that hit the market back in 1995. The game survived was so successful that it survived until now and it’s all thanks to an active modding community that stick with the game and updated many of its mechanics.

Now here is an excerpt from an announcement of the new additions to the Tiberian Dawn from a dedicated Serbian modding community.

Tiberian Dawn News Blitz!

Ladies, Gentlemen and all ships at sea, we in the bunker have received fresh intelligence on the work of the Tiberian Dawn mod team! This transmission, intercepted by our counter intelligence post south of Belgrade contains a recording of the interrogation of Duuude007 and Kushan by the fiendish Lord_Kane and One_Winged_Angel. The voice you will hear at the beginning and end of the transmission is that of Nikkita, the one who is to be the voice of EVA in Tiberian Dawn. And to this brother’s ears, it’s spot on!

– Brotherhood’s mobile artillery

Our agents in Serbia also uncovered these highly classified images of the latest addition to the Brotherhood arsenal, mobile artillery! Able to pound GDI bases into dust from well outside their range as well as make a devastating hit and run attacks, striking at the heart of the foe before retreating to safety behind friendly lines. Brothers, with the power of this new weapon, we cannot fail!

– Ezekiel’s Wheel – Missile launcher

Also, work has begun on what will possibly be the greatest addition to the Nod arsenal in the conflict. Ezekiel’s Wheel! With this devastating new weapon of war, it powerful missile armament and incredible new stealth technology rendering invisible not only to radar but the naked eye and all manner of devices will allow us to strike from nowhere! Truly, GDI will have nowhere to hide from the vengeance of the Brotherhood now!

– Recon bike with missiles

Also seen is the fearsome attack bike. The fastest unit on the battlefield and the staple of Nod recon units this particular butterfly does more than sting. With its heavy armament of twin Dragon missiles not only can it run rings around the lumbering tanks of the GDI mechanized battalions it can blast them apart too!

– Other additions

Our interception team has also uncovered a high-density data package that contains critical data on the Tiberian Dawn project. From Modelling to music and everything in between, it was of great interest to us. And I’m sure it will be to you too, so check out Tiberian Dawn Blog and give it a good read!